Pinacoteca Civica di Forlì

The Pinacoteca Civica di Forlì is a municipal art gallery in Forlì, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Currently housed within the Musei di San Domenico complex, it is dedicated to Melozzo degli Ambrogi (Melozzo da Forlì) and preserves works spanning from the 13th to the 20th century. The collection is notable for its paintings and sculptures by local and Italian artists, making it a significant repository of regional and national artistic heritage.

The Pinacoteca Civica was officially founded in 1838. Its earliest holdings were formed from works recovered from Napoleonic spoliations of various churches in Forlì, representing a partial restoration to public use of art that had been seized. These were augmented by private donations, notably from Count Pietro Guarini, and by works transferred from the Palazzo Comunale. The gallery opened to the public in 1846 in the Palazzo dei Signori della Missione, then the seat of the municipal library, to which the pinacoteca was attached. Don Domenico Brunelli served as its first curator, succeeded by Count Filippo Guarini. In 1922, following the relocation of the hospital from the Palazzo del Merenda to a new building designed by Giovanni Tempioni and completed in 1912, the pinacoteca moved to the large palace designed by Giuseppe Merenda. The library and other civic museums were transferred there as well. Count Benedetto Pergoli was a notable director during the first half of the twentieth century. Beginning in 1996, the majority of the collection was relocated to its present home in the former Dominican convent.

The collection encompasses works from the 13th through the 20th centuries, with particular strength in paintings and sculptures by artists connected to Forlì and the broader Romagna region. The gallery holds medieval and Renaissance pieces, Baroque works, and modern Italian art. A significant component is the Verzocchi collection of 20th-century Italian painting, which includes works associated with movements such as Futurism. The collection also features neoclassical sculpture and works by artists who shaped Italian artistic identity across multiple centuries.

The pinacoteca possesses works by numerous significant artists. Medieval holdings include a 12th-century caryatid and works by the Maestro di Forlì, such as a 13th-century triptych with stories of the Virgin and saints. The collection includes two panels by Beato Angelico, Nativity and Preghiera nell'orto, dated 1440-1450, and Lorenzo di Credi's Ritratto di giovane donna or Dama dei gelsomini of 1485-1490. Antonio Rossellino is represented by a Madonna col Bambino and the sarcophagus of the beato Marcolino Amanni from 1458. Marco Palmezzano is especially well represented with multiple works including a Crocifisso from 1492, Annunciazione panels from 1495-1497 and 1511-1512, Glorificazione di sant'Antonio Abate from 1496-1497, Comunione degli Apostoli from 1506, and Andata al Calvario from 1535. Baldassarre Carrari's Incoronazione della Vergine e i santi Benedetto, Mercuriale, Giovanni Gualberto e Bernardo Uberti from 1512 is also held. The collection includes Antonio Canova's Hebe, a major neoclassical sculpture. The Verzocchi collection features 20th-century works by artists including Giacomo Balla, Giorgio Morandi, Livio Agresti, and Clemente Alberi. The museum acquired Guido Cagnacci's Allegoria dell'Astrologia sferica in 2005.

The Pinacoteca Civica is currently based in the Musei di San Domenico, a former Dominican convent dating to the 13th century. The complex, named after Saint Dominic, comprises the former convent building, which houses the art gallery, two cloisters, and the recently renovated Church of San Giacomo. The structure's history as a religious institution gives it architectural features including the basilica's arches and stonework. The exhibition route traverses different areas of the museum, allowing visitors to move chronologically through the collection. The complex is the largest museum site in Forlì.

The museum is located in Forlì and is accessible to visitors with disabilities. It can be reached by bus from the train station in approximately 14 minutes via line 6, alighting at the Musei stop. Car parking is available at Piazza Dante Alighieri, Piazza Duomo, and Piazza Guido da Montefeltro (paid), or at the free Parcheggio dell'Argine on Viale Salinatore. As of 2025, the museum operates with variable hours and admission fees. The ticket permits access to the permanent civic collections and may include temporary exhibitions. The museum's website provides current scheduling and ticketing information.